But achieving that feat AND taking a point off Arsenal at the Emirates is even more impressive.

Yesterday, Wolves did both – despite playing the last 15 minutes with ten men.

Nenad Milijas was harshly given a straight red card for a challenge on van Persie – who could have had a hat-trick – but fortunately the dismissal did not mean Wolves left empty-handed.

What it did do was make Wolves more determined not to lose the game which, in truth, was largely one-sided.

Arsenal had a whopping 23 shots on goal without managing to find the vital winner.

But with Wayne Hennessey between the sticks even the greatest strikers will have to be at their best to find the net.

Van Persie and Co peppered the Wolves goal throughout but only had Gervinho’s eighth-minute opener to show for their dominance.

Steven Fletcher’s equaliser against the run of play gave Wolves a point and ensured van Persie’s record-breaking goals in a calendar year attempt will drag on to the final game of the year.

On Monday, Wolves watched their bitter rivals Albion produce a defensive masterclass to hold table-toppers Manchester City at The Hawthorns and their effort at the Emirates yesterday was equally as impressive.

The hosts should have added a second in the 15th minute when Gervinho turned provider for van Persie. Johnson slipped while tracking the prolific forward but his blushes were spared as the Arsenal captain shot wide.

It was one-way traffic and lone striker Fletcher was merely a spectator.

The Scot couldn’t get near the ball or even attempt to hurt Arsenal, who were in total control.

On 28 minutes Karl Henry was caught in possession by van Persie just outside his own penalty area.

Fortunately for the former Wolves captain, current skipper Johnson did enough to block Mikel Arteta’s shot after van Persie played him in.

A minute later, van Persie looked certain to score but his low shot was tipped around the post by Hennessey. As the intense pressure continued, Henry again gave the ball away, this time to Alex Song, who set van Persie free through the middle.

Johnson managed to catch up the striker but brought him down just outside the area.

Somehow the Gunners only had one goal to show for their efforts and they were made to pay for a series of missed chances when Fletcher headed in a surprise equaliser on 38 minutes.

Totally against the run of play, Wolves won a corner, which Arsenal couldn’t clear. The ball fell to Stephen Hunt on the edge of the area and his shot was deflected off Laurent Koscielny and headed in by Fletcher.

Wolves’ supporters, housed at the opposite end of the Emirates, went wild as Fletcher was mobbed by his team-mates.

Although they didn’t deserve it, it was the stroke of luck Wolves desperately needed.

As a result, Arsenal’s free-flowing football instantly dried up as they tried to force their way back into the lead.

Groans echoed around the ground as they continued to give the ball away in the second half when on the attack.

Their frustrations were worsened when Attwell waved play on after Koscielny’s cross appeared to strike Christophe Berra’s arm in the penalty area on 59 minutes.

Vermaelen reached boiling point and was booked for arguing with the officials as Wolves started to grow in confidence.

Still they couldn’t get anywhere near the Arsenal goal, though, and had Hennessey to thank for keeping them in the game.

On 65 minutes, Henry wrestled down Gervinho, who had charged through the Wolves backline and was about to unleash a shot.

From 20 yards out van Persie sent a sublime free-kick towards the top corner but Hennessey pulled off a fantastic save to tip it over the bar.

Thirty seconds later the Welsh stopper made an even more impressive save by denying Per Mertesacker’s powerful downward header with an outstretched foot.

As Arsenal ploughed forward, Wolves were dealt a cruel blow when Milijas was harshly sent off for a challenge on van Persie in which he looked to have won the ball.

The Wolves players surrounded Attwell to protest but he was having none of it and gave the Serbian his marching orders.

Their already tough task was made even harder – but still they dug in deep as van Persie shot over and Andrei Arshavin poked wide.

The Dutchman was then twice denied by Hennessey in less than a minute, first from a free-kick, then a low drive from inside the area.

Time ticked by and Wolves survived by the skin of their teeth after a last-minute save from Hennessey, who denied Vermaelen when he looked certain to score.

Six minutes of added time sent shudders down the spines of the travelling support but the dogged defensive performance was complete when Attwell blew up after another prolonged spell of pressure in the Wolves half.